The Serenity of Moonlight
by Teddy R. Lupin
Summary: Sirius discovers Remus asleep in the common room one night, and ends up pondering the answers to questions he didn't even want to ask.But he knows, whatever happens in the future, whatever changes, their friendship will never change. Up to interpretation.


I know this is so far from my typical story...even far from a typical...eh, anything, really. It's quite short...but hey, it was almost two pages in Microsoft Word, and I was bored in Journalism, and I had nothing else to do, really. Not that I had an assignment to finish or anything. - No, really, I didn't. Just got assigned a story, and my partner is absent today. I've been working on this since English class a few days ago, so I finished it today. I wanted it to be 1,000 words, but...well, obviously that didn't happen.

Anyway...this is dedicated to a friend of mine, because we're going through a rough patch at the moment, and I want him to know he can trust me, even though I seem like an idiot at times. Friends are meant to be trusted.

Pairings are up to your interpretation. I purposely didn't specify.

xXxXxXx

A blanket was snoring.

Wait…

A _blanket_ was snoring?

Stormy eyes blinked, and a mouldy, old textbook snapped shut. The grey orbs swiveled around to face the offending noise. Scraggly, light-coloured hair stuck out at all angles from the top of the blanket; a thin, grey sock hung off the feet of the unknown snoring person as the blanket shifted.

The snoring resumed.

Sirius Black slammed his book on the table and stood up, clenching a threatening fist as though it would threaten the sleeping boy into silence.

"Oi!"

Obviously, his exclamatory tone did nothing, as the low noise continued.

"The first time I bloody _try_ to study…" he grumbled, padding over to the couch as he stretched, closing his eyes as he let out a yawn. "…so when ol' Minnie asks why…" He continued his grumbling until it became incoherent, and then leaned down over the blanket curiously. Who was it that was so bloody obnoxious? Surely no one in his dorm…

He pulled it away, and to his great surprise, the snoring noise belonged to his good friend and fellow prankster, Remus Lupin.

As it always did in matters concerning Moony, Sirius's anger melted into nonexistence, and he sighed softly, chewing on his lip. Remus continued to sleep. The grey eyes flicked over to the window, and the waning moon reflected in his irises. "Oh Moony…" he whispered out, his breath catching in his throat. "Mate…" The pale face of the sleeping boy contorted as if he knew someone was watching him, someone had found him…but in the next second, it relaxed, as if he'd fallen back into a peaceful slumber.

Remus shifted in his sleep, and some hair fell into the seemingly porcelain face as the light from the moon shone through the window.

Sirius's eyes flicked between the boy and the moon, and instantly felt like he was intruding on something intimate and personal. Of course, he knew of his friend's feelings towards the moon…as…well, as what he was, he hated the silvery orb with a passion. And simply because he knew how much pain it caused him, Sirius had grown to hate it as well. But…somehow it was different now. It seemed almost…serene.

He didn't know when it had changed, but it had. He knew that trying to talk his friend into a corner wouldn't work…Remus had always been more eloquent in the way he spoke, and more calm in his manner. Sirius would have to try something else. But…he knew one thing. He knew that he wouldn't let Remus go on in his life, always dreading, always hating the moon. Understanding was the first step in accepting, and he'd lived his life wholly fearing himself, not understanding.

Hell, Sirius wouldn't let them get out in the world like that. No way would he let his closest friend leave out of fear. He knew that Remus would never run from Voldemort, the imminent threat – if anything, he was guaranteed to stay and fight. But if he ever thought that he was getting in James's way…in Lily's way…in _Sirius's_ way…Remus would leave, to never return.

Maybe…maybe he should just grant his friend some peace.

"I'll…let you get some rest," mumbled Sirius, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He knew that his friend must be exhausted, that Remus had such a hard life…but he wasn't even close to knowing how it felt. He experienced Remus's life, had tried to be a part of it as much as he could, but he knew, just from seeing the familiar, haunted look in the other boy's amber eyes, that he would never truly be able to help. Some hurts went too deep to ever be helped.

Sirius stood to leave, swallowing slightly, running a hand through his long black locks. He seemed to be in a compromising situation. It was odd, wasn't it, to watch your best mate sleep? Ordinary friends certainly didn't do that.

But, then – and he allowed himself a slight grin at the thought – there was nothing even slightly ordinary about Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.

He leaned down a little, and with that grin still gracing his face, Sirius straightened out the blanket and sighed quietly as the moonlight remained to shine on Remus's face. He backed up a bit, looked at his textbook with slight distaste, grasped it tightly, and headed up the stairs to the Boys' Seventh Year Dormitory.

Many things would change as they left Hogwarts, Sirius knew. But his friendship with the Marauders, with _Remus_, would not be one of them.

Because when you believe in someone…it's not for a little while, or just for the moment. It's forever.

xXxXxXx

Drop me a review to tell me how I did...I never write in Sirius's point of view. Like...never. I do Remus often, as well as Teddy, and I suppose I can be persuaded to write Harry, but I'm not the "Sirius" type. Heheh, puns. Nevermind. - I'm a nerd.

Thanks~

TRL


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